Magnitude 6.9 earthquake hits near Solomon Islands

A magnitude 6.9 undersea earthquake has hit near the Solomon Islands, just a day after a 7.8 earthquake destroyed homes and triggered a tsunami warning on the island nation.
Saturday morning’s earthquake hit at 6.10am (8.10am, NZT), was 10 kilometres deep and 90 kilometres west south west of Kirakira.
It was initially reported as magnitude 7 earthquake, but the USGS has downgraded it to 6.9.The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre has assessed that there is no tsunami threat to Australia.
No tsunami warning has been issued for New Zealand. Hundreds of people in remote parts of the Solomon Islands have had their homes damaged or destroyed by the earthquake that
struck Friday.

There have been no deaths reported from Friday’s quake, which
also caused some small tsunami waves in the Solomon Islands and
other Pacific islands.
The quake struck near the island of Makira at 4.38am (6.38am,
NZT), causing buildings to collapse, landslides, and triggering a
tsunami building
World Vision in Solomon Islands director Jane Ginting​ tol Radio New
Zealand people quickly moved to higher ground for safety as soon
as the shaking stopped.
Sainovski said in the town of Kirakira on the island, the quake
damaged a hospital, a church and other buildings including the
World Vision office. She said 20 people were evacuated from a
hospital.
She said the quake had caused some power failures throughout the
country.
Micha Maghe, World Vision’s water sanitation and health project
coordinator in Kirakira, said the quake had been terrifying.
“When I got outside I could hear children crying, people shouting,”
she said in a statement. “We assembled at a school and I saw
people moving towards high ground. … People just panicked and
were frightened.”
Tsunami warnings for several Pacific islands, including Hawaii,
were cancelled Friday after authorities determined the earthquake
didn’t pose a broad tsunami threat.
The US Geological Survey said the quake hit about 200
kilometres southeast of Honiara and about 68km from Kirakira.
The epicentre was relatively deep at 48km deep. Deeper quakes
generally cause less damage on the ground.
The Solomon Islands are located in the Pacific’s geologically active
“Ring of Fire.”